Lucuma – a natural sweetener

With everyone talking about the latest way to sweeten their food, I thought I would share a secret- Lucuma Powder! It is yummy when used in baked goods as a substitute sweetener.

Lucuma trees are orginal in the Andes in Chili, but are also grown in Peru, New Zealand, Ecuador and Phoenix, Arizona. Check out the 3rd resource! It is sometimes called as the “Gold of the Incas”.

Lucuma powder comes from the fruit of the lucuma tree and is a low glycemic sweetener with a hint of flavor like maple. One reference describes it like this “The flesh of the Ecuadorian seedlings is sort of ‘dry’ and crumbly (the texture of the yolk of a boiled egg, perhaps), slightly sweet, tasting somewhat of butterscotch (some say maple syrup), but the odd ‘powdery’ mouth feel and the lack of juice makes it a fruit you don’t really want to eat.” (2)

Photo Credit- Google Pictures

Lucuma fruit is rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, a healthy carbohydrate and has vitamins of niacin, riboflavin, thiamine (B vitamins), as well as beta carotene, protein and Vitamin C! “The flesh contains 25 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams. The sugar component of the carbohydrates are 8.4 grams of glucose, 4.7 grams of fructose, 1.7 grams of sucrose, and 0.06 grams of inositol. Prior to maturity, there is only sucrose present, and this is gradually converted to other sugars in the process of ripening.” (2) A little powder goes a long way, so you actually don’t get very much “sugar” content.

The Lucuma powder can be used in smoothies, milk shakes, pudding, ice cream, juices, or in baked goods as a way to cut down on the sugar. Recipes for healthy brownies and blueberry muffins will come in later posts 😀 … Just thought I’d add that in to make your salivary glands kick in! Ha! 😀 Try this recipe for starters– Caramel Almond Butter! It is where I was introduced to lucuma powder! 😀